By Myke Uzendu, Abuja.
As the Osun State governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws closer, a group known as Concerned Members of PDP in Osun State on Monday petitioned the party’s leadership, seeking disqualification of Senator Ademola Adeleke over discrepancies in certificate names and age.
The petition dated 21st of January, 2022, questioned the documents submitted by Adeleke to the screening Committee.
The petition to the appeal committee requested for Adeleke’s disqualification from participating in the forthcoming PDP gubernatorial primaries in Osun State on the grounds of impersonation, discrepancies in the information and documents submitted to the party and INEC.
The petition signed by one Akinloye Adeyi (DSS Officer RTD), said that it will be risky for the party to field Adeleke, bearing in mind what happened in the case of Bayelsa state.
The petition said: “That aspirant should be put through and monitored, writing test by the screening test to ascertain their communication skills and proof of the veracity of their academic qualification.
“That there is no nexus between Annexures 1-15 as it relates to his name, date of birth, admission number, name of the Institution he graduated from and Party membership number.
“The names on the different documents presented by Senator Ademola Adeleke are different and brandishing certificates and other documents that do not carry his name and using affidavits to assert his ownership of the Certificates and documents (Annexure 1-14) did so in error and fraudulently.
“It is one thing for a person to bear multiple names. It is another, however when it becomes a legal problem when the multiple names appear on different official documents and the effort to explain the contradictory names leads to more contradictions.
“That it may be uncanny for a person not to be sure of his name, date of birth, a number of O’ Level Subjects he sat for at WAEC, Admission number and name of the Institutions he graduated from, it becomes an issue of fraud when a man presents official documents bearing conflicting names.
“Mr. Chairman sir and the distinguished members of this Appeal Committee, we have painstakingly weighed the bright chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the next governorship election in Osun State, after waiting for 12 years of ACN APC maladministration in Osun State.
“All the sectors of the society are waiting for PDP to rescue Osun State from APC Maladministration for 12 years.
“That the documents presented by Senator Ademola Adeleke from 2017 till date to the Party are marred with severe irregularities as enumerated above, which cannot be glossed over.
“Therefore, it is my humbly request that Senator Ademola Adeleke should be disqualified from participating in the forthcoming gubernatorial primary election in Osun State in the overall interest of the Party and the Osun State.”
In his response, Senator Ademola Adeleke dismissed the various allegations, insisting that he stands by the various documents he tendered.
Dismissing the claims of the group, Adeleke explained that the various names in the documents he tendered are his.
Adeleke, who was the PDP candidate in the last governorship election in Osun State, maintained that the petition against him lacks merit.
He said, “I stand my certificate anytime, any day,” adding that the names in the documents are the names given to him by his parents.
